I believe everyone here recalls the controversial figurehead of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Americans were trained to hate him through every media reference we ever saw come over the internet, newspaper or television. And fair enough, he was notorious for terrorizing his own people, murdering millions, and torturing many more. However I'd like to offer an alternative perspective we might consider.
I once knew a woman named Gretel Bingham, daughter of Raoul Wallenberg, a famous Swedish humanitarian who saved tens of thousands of lives issuing passports to Jews and housing them during the Holocaust. If you look into the history of this honored man, you will find no record of him having a daughter. Gretel Bingham was born and raised in Sweden while her father was hiding under ground and no record was made. When she was just seven years old she was sent off with all the other children in a large ship in order to keep them safe during this time of war. The ship was torpedoed and all of Gretel's documents were lost. Holding on to floating pieces of wreckage she was saved by a passing ship some time later and given passage to Portugal where she was adopted by a family there. I will not go into the long and detailed story of her life or how she came to the United States or how I made her acquaintance because that is a subject for a very long novel I haven't the expertise to write. However...during the long span of her life she spent time in Iraq and worked for Saddam Hussein in his palace. I have strong memories of Gretel ranting about American tabloids and the injustice done to his name. I had a hard time understanding her at the time because it seemed very clear to me that he was a bad man. But I believe I have come to understand a little better now. Saddam Hussein was kind to Gretel. She described him as a gracious, kind man with a wonderful family and a beautiful palace. She was absolutely enthralled with his sons and never saw anything but the characteristics of a good and firm leader when she saw the figure of Saddam Hussein.
I suppose our first reaction is to question her awareness of the many things he did while leading his country, but I believe Gretel had a point. Saddam Hussein may have been a bad leader, but no one on this earth is devoid of good qualities. My mother once told me something that taught me a great lesson. A person is not what their actions suggest. You can hate their characteristics, or their personality, or their actions, but you cannot hate any individual. Because as an individual on this earth, they are a son or daughter of God. That is who they are even if they don't know it, or seem miles away from that beautiful potential. But as a son or daughter of God we all have come to this life with the light of Christ.
Matthew 7:11
....If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?Saddam Hussein was a man just like any of the rest of us. And I'm sure he knew how to give good gifts. He knew how to be a leader. He knew how to love. He had the light of Christ. I believe this is a part of history untold. How fitting that it would come from Gretel Bingham, a woman who's history has no documentation--whose story will not be recorded in history.
Let this story be an example of the wide difference our choices can make. Our actions may not go down in history. Most of the choices we make in any given day are unknown to anyone but ourselves. But God knows. How different could the lives of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden have been had they known their potential; had they known how to magnify that light of Christ instead of hiding it beneath the bushel of dictatorship or terrorism? How different can our lives be if we choose to magnify and testify of our knowledge of Christ, instead of glorifying the power of man?
Love God. Love your heritage. Testify always.
1 comment:
You actually KNEW her?! That's awesome! I love the way you teach divine principles. I recorded the historic moment, but didn't talk about potential. I didn't really lean negatively or positively on the issue. I appreciate your tenderness :)
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